A Flame In the Darkness Dispels all Shadows
by Sano S. Sagara
Summary: Lee is walking in the woods and comes across an unexpected surprise.
1. a flickering flame

Lee was training deep in the lush, green forest one hot summer day. He was practicing a completely new and alien style of taijutsu. Spinning from kick to punch to block, lightning quick, Lee was but a green blur in the endless sea of dappled light filling the under story of the woods. He leaped forward, darting back again with a dancer's grace and the dangerous speed of a panther. Sweat dripped from his thick black brows into his pitch-dark eyes, stinging painfully, but Lee took no notice. His normally expressive coal eyes were sharpened with concentration as he flung his body into contorted shapes that caused his sides and spine to crackle with protest. His chapped hands began to bleed through the heavy linen bandages wrapped around them. Lee just continued his exercises, determined to overcome his boundaries and push himself farther, farther than those with chakra even. He swore to himself, Gai-sensei, to the entire village, that he would surpass his physical and mental limitations and become the world's greatest taijustsu master. So absorbed in his training was Lee that he did not realize when the sun began to set, and long shadows filled the darkening wood. No longer was the cheerful dappled light playing over the grass, and the by day familiar training grounds sank into the ominous shadows of twilight, which in turn were devoured by the encroaching phantoms of a black night.

Suddenly, Lee looked up realizing that it was now so dark he could barely see his bruised and blackened hand in front of his face.

"Well, this certainly is not good!" he exclaimed, exhaling loudly, hands on his green-clad hips.

_Ok, I know that the village is due west of here…But the sun has long since set and I can not see the stars nor moon for the clouds…_

Abruptly, Lee laughed, "What a royal mess this is!"

Lee began to follow the patterns of trampled and bloodied grass that betrayed past activities; finally he found a straight line of steps following the path he had taken into the seclude clearing.

"AHA!" Lee gave a small sound of triumph.

As he walked, a small flickering light caught Lee's black eye.

_There is no hiding in darkness if there is even one spark of light._ Lee stole closer to the light, silent as a shadow. It was a person, cloaked in a sand colored robe, walking with a small oil lantern. The miniscule flame only threw off enough light to just see the uneven forest floor, and Lee couldn't tell who the shadowy figure was. Not even if it was a ninja or civilian. Whoever it was walked jerkily, stumbling and limping, as if injured or drunken. Lee watched, worried that the stranger might need help, but he was reluctant to step from his refuge among the trees for fear the stranger was an enemy ninja. But Lee couldn't help himself; when the person fell to their knees with a small pained noise, Lee leaped out and caught their limp body before they'd completely collapsed.

The tattered hood slipped from the stranger's face with the harsh halting of their body. Lee felt his eyes widen in shock to see that it was a battered and beaten…!


	2. Awakening

Awakening

* * *

It was Gaara.

Lee was shocked. How in the world had Gaara been beaten so horribly? Both of the Sand Ninja's ocean hued eyes were swollen and blackened. An ugly, ragged gash ran the length of his bruised face. Blood oozed sluggishly from his split lower lip.

"GAARA-SAN! Gaara! Say something!" Lee pleaded, alarmed by Gaara's shallow breathing. But he received no response; the unconscious boy just lay there in Lee's arms, half dead. Lee hoisted the quickly fading Gaara onto one shoulder and grabbed the lantern with his free hand before speeding back to the village.

_'Who, what, could have done this to Gaara-san? WAIT!'_ Lee slowed slightly, _'I do not know who did this! It could be dangerous to just hand him over to a medic or someone... I will have to take him to my place,' _Lee changed direction and arrived at the door to his home just as the sky began lighten. The rosy pink sky was streaked with gold and blue as the sun cleared the horizon when Lee began to treat Gaara's wounds.

The damage was much worse then Lee had thought.

One of Gaara's arms was surely broken. His right ankle was grossly swollen, and his leggings were shredded with shurikin cuts.

"Gods..." murmured Lee as he took a deep breath and began the stomach turning process of dressing Gaara's numerous injuries.

'Hnn?' Gaara felt his eye's slowly flutter open. His retina screamed in protest of even the soft light filtering through the blood-thickened lids, but he forced them open anyway. Birds sounded outside the window, diffused light filtered in through the blinds. Suddenly, everything that had happened the night before came flooding back into his addled brain. "Ahh!" Gaara tried to get up, to get away from what his mind prayed a desperate situation. 'But…' Gaara gazed around the unfamiliar room and felt an all new wave of alarm wash over him. Then Gaara noticed the wraps on his arms and legs, ' My… wounds. Who, who dressed them?' it was then that Gaara noticed the still form of Lee. Lee was sound asleep, seated on a chair, head and arms resting on the light green covers of the bed that Gaara was in. "Lee-kun…" Gaara murmured.

"He, he helped me? …Why?" Gaara tried to get up without waking the slumbering boy, but as soon as Gaara moved, Lee's eyes shot open and black orbs latched onto aqua ones.

"Gaara-san! You are awake! NO! Gaara-san! You should not try to move yet, you will reopen your wounds!" Lee scrambled up and pressed Gaara by his relatively undamaged shoulders back flush to the mattress.

"Gaara-san, can you remember what happened to you? Who did this to you? Can you recall anything at all?"

"Lee-kun… How... did I get here, this is... your house?" Gaara laid back, slightly more relaxed, but still on guard.

"Yes, Gaara-san," Lee began but Gaara cut him off.

"Gaara. I'm not... KazeKage yet,"

"Very well… Gaara-kun. I found you while walking back last night through the training grounds. You were swaying and staggering like you were drunk. Then you collapsed, and I brought you here!" concluded Lee. He looked at Gaara expectantly, waiting for the young ninja's explanation.

But Gaara wasn't very forthcoming with information; and he merely shrugged, giving a small word of thanks.

"Time?" He asked instead.

"A little after nine o'clock I think," replied Lee cheerily.

"… I… must go," Gaara moved to rise again, but Lee pressed him back into the covers.

"I said 'NO' Gaara-kun, you are in no condition to move about. Much less walk to heaven knows where you stay!" Lee placed his hands on his hips once again and smiled a dazzling white smile, bushy brows arching beneath his tousled dome of jet black hair, "You are to stay here until you have fully recuperated," even though Lee voiced it as a command, his voice and eyes pleaded for Gaara to stay, "Do not worry, Gaara-kun, my home is very safe.

"And you are my friend Gaara-kun, I will protect you, till my death," Lee's face was completely serious.

"Lee-kun… Hn," Gaara let himself relax and Lee smiled again, then left.

Gaara could hear him greeting Gai-sensei in a loud and overly dramatic style that reverberated through the walls of Lee's home. He laid back, more at ease than he'd been in ages.


	3. Speechless

Speechless

* * *

The next time Gaara woke, it was to the sound of Lee's exuberant voice.

"Gaara-kun, would you like something to eat or drink? You must be famished!"

"Hn," Gaara looked away, the light emanating from Lee's face hurt his eyes.

"But Gaara-kun!" scolded Lee with one hand on his hip, the other he wagged in Gaara's face disapprovingly. He was the perfect image of an exasperated mother, save for the curly wig,

"Gaara-kun, you need to eat. You have got to regain some of your strength!"

Lee hoisted up an oak tray table heavily laden with food and placed it in front of Gaara on the bed. Lee picked up a spoon and ladled up some hot chicken soup, offering it to Gaara saying, "Now open wide Gaara-kun!"

Gaara just stared incredulously at the smiling leaf nin, '_he's kidding…right?'_

"Lee-kun… I can feed myself,"

"No, Gaara-kun, do not push yourself," Lee replied brilliantly, almost blinding Gaara again with his overly large smile.

"…!" When Gaara opened his mouth again to protest the treatment, Lee forced the spoonful of soup into his mouth. It was delicious. Warm chicken broth, big chunks of tender chicken, noodles, carrots and celery, spices, all blended together magnificently. Gaara could tell immediately that it was homemade.

"It's… good, Lee-kun. I can feed myself… I _insist_,"

"Okay…" agreed Lee somewhat reluctantly and gave up the utensil. He sat back as Gaara hoisted himself up and began to chatter.

"So, Gaara-kun, are you feeling well again?"

"Hn…"

"I don't know if you had any serious internal injuries, are you in any pain?"

"Hn,"

"How are your ribs healing?"

"Hn,"

"Are you sure you will not tell me who did this to you?"

That made Gaara pause, "…why… do you want to know so badly?"

"I would go hunt them down and do the same to them as they did to you!" Lee replied brightly, as if he had merely commented on the weather.

Gaara could only stare.

'_He would do that… for me?' _

Gaara looked at the happily smiling leaf nin and wondered, _'Why? Why would Lee feel that strongly for me? I'm from another village; I've tried to kill him and his friends… I've even almost succeeded at that a number of times. He knows about all of the horrible things that I've done…Why does he consider me a friend, and not a horrible enemy?' _

All the while Gaara was thinking, Lee was pondering. (The line coming up is borrowed from the fabulous book Fluke, or I Know Why The Winged Wales Sing. Which was written by Christopher Moore) You see, thinking is very different from pondering. With thinking, you sort of jam the facts into the little slots in your brain until one of them fits correctly, then you start all over again. No, thinking was not for the free spirited Lee. He was a ponder-er. To ponder, one must sit back and calm down, take a step away from the problem at hand and just look at the facts that you have. You let those facts roll around in your brain until one drops into place. Pondering was a much gentler thought process than just all out thinking. Yes, Lee was a ponder-er.

'_Who could it be? Sasuke? Naruto? They could definitely do it… but WOULD they? Nooo, they both respect Gaara-kun too much to beat him that badly. Maybe another Chuunin or a Jounin… Gai-sensei? Kakashi-sensei? Iruka-sensei? But… they would not do something like that.'_

'_WHO!' _the leaf nin turned and looked at Gaara.

"Gaara-kun. Why will you _not_ tell me who did this?"

"I… can't," Gaara looked away quickly, returning to his now cold soup.

'_I just can't tell him that… THAT person did this to me…' _thought Gaara uneasily.

"Well that must mean that they are forcing you not to tell anyone!" proclaimed the green monster excitedly.

Gaara looked up in pure surprise, "What?"

"Yes, that is it! They ganged up on you and used under handed tactics to defeat you. Then they threatened either you or someone or something you care about so you will not give away their identities. And they are planning to finish the job tonight! The cowardice! YOU MUST LET ME HELP YOU GAARA-KUN!"

By this time, Lee had worked himself into such a frenzy, he was standing with one foot on the bed and leaning forward with his taped fists raised in triumph.

Gaara felt something stir in his chest at the antics of the ninja before him. This strange and foreign feeling rose up in his chest and into his throat. Soon it bubbled into his mouth and escaped as a small, but genuine, _laugh._

"Heh!" Lee's eyes widened, his eyebrows almost disappearing under his coal black hair.

"…Gaara?…"

"Heh, heh heh. Ha, ha ha ha ha, HA HA HA HA HA!" Sides hurting, Gaara found that he liked this feeling, laughing.

For probably the first time in his young life, Rock Lee, was speechless.


	4. fun?

Fun?

* * *

"Gaara? Did you… just, just _laugh_?" Lee was shocked.

"I… did," Gaara looked up. "I don't... remember ever... doing that... before... It... was…" he paused, searching his vocabulary for an appropriate word.

"Fun?" prompted Lee.

"Fun," repeated Gaara with a nod, trying the new word out, rolling it around in his mouth, tasting it.

"Yes, fun," Gaara looked up, "I… never had occasion... to use such a... word before,"

"Well then… I will just have to show you what fun is, right now!" announced Lee, smiling widely, his teeth shining.

Gaara jumped a little, not expecting such an outburst from the leaf nin before him.

"Nani?"

"Yes, we will have tons of fun!" Lee was excited now, "We can go exploring in the Forest Of Death, and train, a-and…" Lee's voice trailed off, he was immersed in joyous thoughts, his black eyes shining creepily.

Gaara just stared at Lee, then he felt his lips twitch. Startled, Gaara placed a hand tentatively over his mouth, his sea colored eyes wide.

"Wha-?"

"That is called a smile, Gaara-kun!" laughed Lee at Gaara's shock. Lee reached out and grasped Gaara's hand to help him up without reopening his rapidly healing injuries.

"Now let us go show you what fun really is! TO THE TRAINING GROUNDS!" Lee proceeded to then drag Gaara out of the bed. He only stopped when, in a last ditch attempt to stop, Gaara grabbed the doorframe and clung to it.

"Gaara-kun?" Lee looked back, puzzled, at the sand nin glaring at him.

"Lee-kun. Let. Me. Put. Clothing. On. First." Ground out the angry Gaara.

Looking down, Lee blushed slightly. But for the bandages, Gaara only had on his under shorts.

'Hmm, his 'bulge' is pretty small… maybe that is why Gaara-kun is always in a bad mood…'

"HUH? Oh, sorry, meet me down stairs once you have dressed," Lee quickly closed the door on the scowling nin. Halfway down the stairs he jumped, proclaiming, "That is it! I will pack a picnic!" Lee consequentially tripped and fell down the stairs.

Gaara listened to Lee's shout and then cringed when he heard several successive, loud, thuds.

"Should I… should I be afraid of this... 'fun' that Lee-kun has planned?" Gaara asked himself quietly as he pulled on his spare clothing.

Fully dressed, Gaara arrived in the kitchen to find Lee standing there, grinning of course, and holding a large wicker basket and what appeared to be a bag of kunai and apples.

"Lee-kun…?" asked Gaara, unsure of the Green Monster's intentions with the weapons and fruit.

"William Tell!" replied Lee happily.

"William… Tell?" Gaara didn't like the sound of that.

"It will be fun!" with that, Lee took off like a shot towards the far end of the training grounds, at full tilt. Gaara almost had to struggle to keep up.

They slowed to a walk as the already unfriendly jungle became denser and darker, diffused green light filtered through the giant leaves of the upper stories and canopy of the old forest. In the hazy green light, Lee almost disappeared into the misty green shadows. Lee looked around, searching for the path that he had taken to the beautifully secluded spot where he had been training two days before. As they walked through the dense foliage Gaara stopped suddenly.

The path ahead was covered with blood and coarse blood soaked sand.

"Gaara-kun?" Lee peered around the stopped sand nin, "What is the matter Gaara-kun?" then he noticed where they were.

"Oh,"

"Is this… is this where you…" Gaara's voice trailed off into the unspoken question.

"Yes," replied Lee slowly.

Gaara looked around himself critically. Branches were broken off and blood was smeared all over the foliage. Dark, vibrant splotches of crimson liquid marred the tranquil green of their surroundings. Gaara grimaced, ' _if I had been back home, they would have killed me for leaving such an obvious trail, injured or no,' _A small scorch mark and a larger blood stain marked where he must have fallen. Gaara looked away in disgust of himself.

"Gaara-kun?" Lee asked worriedly, _'why does Gaara-kun look so upset? It must be that he is remembering who beat him! I MUST FIND OUT WHO DID THAT TO MY DEAREST FRIEND GAARA-KUN AND MAKE THEM PAY FOR GANGING UP ON HIM!" _Lee has fire in his obsidian eyes and not once had it occurred to him that Gaara might be mad at his own weakness.

"Gaara-kun!" Lee suddenly shouted, ripping Gaara from his thoughts.

"Hn?"

"Tell me who did that to you! Give me their names and I will track them down!" Lee began ranting to the nearest tree, waving his arms up and down in an agitated manner, flames burning in his coal-black eyes.

"No," Lee turned.

"Why?"

"No," with a little more force.

"Why?"

"NO!"

"WHY!"

"BECAUSE IT WAS S-!" Gaara clapped a hand over his mouth and glared, furious with himself.

"WHOwhoWHOwhoWHOwho!" Lee hopped up and down in Gaara's face.

_FWAP! _

_Thump._

Lee looked at Gaara in shock, black eyes wide.

"Be quiet! It is not a matter of yours!"

The sands returned to Gaara's gourd with an angry hiss.

"STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS LEE!" Gaara yelled at the stunned Leaf Ninja.

"Gaara-kun…" Lee backed away slowly from the angry ninja and prepared for an attack.

"O.K. Gaara-kun. I will not ask again. Do you still wish to accompany me?" Lee asked slowly.

Gaara glowered down at Lee for a few more breathless seconds before nodding gruffly, "Yes. Get up and let's go," Gaara turned on his heel and walked a few paces before stopping again.

"Gaara-kun? What is wrong?" Lee asked, curious.

"I... don't know where... we are going," he mumbled lowly.

"Ha ha, ha, ha," laughed Lee as he stood and grabbed Gaara's hand, the sands inside the gourd barely stirring, and proceeded to walk ahead, pulling the soon to be KazeKage behind him.

They walked like that for a few more minutes before Gaara ripped his hand back and folded his arms in embarrassment. Lee sniggered quietly which earned him a sand whip to the back of the head.

-In the clearing, after 80 minutes of Lee saying that they'll be there in 2 minutes-

"ALRIGHT! Now that we have eaten, let us play William Tell!" proclaimed Lee, standing up and picking 3 apples and 12 kunai from the bag.

"What... is William Tell, Lee-kun?" Gaara asked, uneasily eyeing the knives.

In response Lee grabbed Gaara, hoisting the smaller ninja up, and placed him against the nearest tree trunk. Lee then placed a shiny red apple atop Gaara's equally red head. Ignoring Gaara's questioning glare, Lee stepped back about 10 feet.

"Lee-kun…?" Gaara was actually worried when he saw Lee ready the knife to throw.

"Now, do not move," Lee commanded, then he threw the kunai. Gaara ducked on pure instinct and grabbed the projectile mid-air.

"Gaara-kun! I said not to move!" exclaimed an exasperated Lee, "You are supposed to stand absolutely still and let me throw kunai at you!" he explained with his hands on his green hips in a very Lee-like pose, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Why would anyone without a death wish do that of their own free will!" asked a slightly panicking Gaara.

"Because it builds trust between teammates and improves aim at the same time!" announced Lee happily.

"I'm supposed to stand still and trust you," Gaara pointed to Lee, " to throw that," he pointed at the kunai, "at my head, while hoping that you do not miss. And NOT duck?"

"Hey! My teammates and I use a pea instead of an apple. And I have only hit Naruto-kun once. And that was because Sasuke-kun insulted him mid-throw," Lee smiled again, his teeth shining, and he struck a 'nice guy pose,' which surprisingly did not make Gaara feel safer.

"Do not worry Gaara-kun, you are in safe hands!" Lee took aim once more and threw the kunai, while Gaara just about had to have the sands anchor him to the ground to suppress his instincts.

THUNK!

With a dull thud, the kunai embedded itself into the apple, mere centimeters from Gaara's head. Gaara sweat-dropped and glared at Lee as a lock of scarlet hair fluttered down. Lee just grinned widely and struck another nice guy pose before bounding over and saying, "O.K! switch places!"


	5. mishaps

Mishaps

* * *

When Lee and Gaara had thoroughly exhausted themselves they collapsed on the soft, green, trampled grass and panted heavily. They were covered with sweat and unwilling to move. Once Lee had caught a sufficient breath, he began to laugh heartily.

Gaara looked up and smiled uncertainly at the laughing nin.

"Well Gaara-kun? How was your first time?" asked Lee expectantly, pulling a few leaves out of his mussed up black hair.

They had played William Tell happily until Lee had become distracted by a squirrel and threw the kunai without looking.

Gaara had never jumped so fast.

They had then played hide and seek, 'ninja style' Lee had called it. Gaara had been delighted when he snuck up on Lee and the green-clad ninja had screamed like a little kunoichi. (Me: sorry Lee, Lee: you should be)

Caught up in the moment, Lee began chasing Gaara, both laughing heartily.

"That was the most… fun… I've ever had," proclaimed Gaara amazedly. He looked at Lee, his ocean-y eyes no longer held the icy, evil look so many had come to expect, but now they resembled those of a young child and wise sage combined. It was the look of one who had seen so much, but was discovering something joyous that they'd missed for so long.

"Ha!" Lee laughed again, immensely pleased with himself, "You have not seen anything yet, my friend," Lee struck another one of his innumerable 'nice-guy poses.' Which was followed by him dragging Gaara to his, surprisingly tired, feet.

"Follow me!" Lee cried and jumped straight up into the lofty branches above him.

"How does Lee-kun have so much energy?" wondered Gaara before he too disappeared into the feathery green branches. Silently, a shadow detached itself from the nearby foliage and followed the pair.

"Lee-kun, where are we going?" Gaara called to the speeding green blur ahead of him.

"You will see!" Lee shot back over his shoulder as he sped up even more. Then a senbon issued from their shadowy stalker and it shot clean through the branches and into Gaara's still injured side.

'_Damn!'_ Gaara's side spasmed as he clutched his healing ribs.

"Uhn!" Gaara grunted in pain and collapsed, falling 20 feet before he regained the strength to halt his plummet.

"GAARA-KUN!" Lee flipped in mid-air and ricocheted off a branch to Gaara's side. Swiftly delivering his crippled body to a branch large enough to support their weight.

"Gaara-kun!" Lee yelled, "Gaara-kun! Hold on, just relax. You will be okay!"

"AARGG!" Gaara screamed and clutched at his side, writhing in pain.

"Gaara-kun! Why are you in such pain!" Lee felt helpless, nothing he attempted was helping his friend.

"AHHH!" another wave of unimaginable pain swept over Gaara's prone body. Then the young sand nin began to convulse, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"A seizure! J-just got to w-wait it out!" Lee was scared; he didn't know what was wrong. He didn't know how to help his friend. And that's what scared him the most, the fact that he was helpless.

Soon, Gaara lay still, but he was still breathing very shallowly.

"N-no…" tears welled in Lee's black eyes when Gaara stopped breathing completely.


	6. memories

Memories

* * *

"Gaara! GAARA!" Lee shrieked, shaking Gaara's limp body. When the sand nin didn't respond, Lee began performing CPR.

"One. Two. Three. F-Four..." Lee counted out the chest compressions.

* * *

_'Am I... am I dead?'_Gaara's voice echoed about the cavernous, blank space he was walking through. it was so devoid of any stimuli that Gaara couldn't even tell if it was white or black, or any hue in between.

_'Lee-kun?' _he called.

No answer.

Alone.

Why was he disappointed? Was it because he was alone? Gaara scowled, he'd always been alone. Why should now be any different? Gaara's eyes burned and his breath caught in his throat.

_'I really am alone now,' _he inhaled a ragged breath, _'Before, I always had Temari and Kankuro, my team was always there. Naruto, Sasuke, Tenten, Neji. Many of these Leaf ninjas have made an effort to know me, they respected me, but didn't fear me, like at home. But I pushed them away! Even my own family I pushed away!'_ Gaara clenched his fists, '_I always distanced myself from the people around me, even here, where they don't care about what lives inside me! WHY? What was I afraid of?_'

An image of Lee, smiling and stretching a hand out to him, flashed through his mind.

_'Lee,'_ Gaara's voice cracked, _'you didn't stop trying. You never gave up on me...' _Gaara looked around himself, seeing familiar forms separate themselves from the growing shadows around him. there was Temari, and Kankuro, and the other Leaf Village ninjas he'd come to know. They all waved, but stayed back away from him. But the image of Lee suddenly stopped laughing and detached itself from the group, it walked toward Gaara.

_'Lee!'_ Gaara tried to call, but his voice died in his throat when he heard what the image of Lee had to say.

_'I hate you,'_

_'I'm so glad to se-what?'_ Gaara refused to believe what he was hearing.

_'What?'_ he asked again.

_'I hate you. You disgust me. I never want to see you again. You are evil, impure. You have tried to kill my friends, myself, and succeeded in killing so many other innocents,'_ Lee's normally smiling face was distorted into an ugly mask of disgust and hatred. Lee turned and walked away.

_'Lee?'_ Gaara could feel his heart shrivel in his chest, twisting in despair.

Gaara could feel the darkness encroaching. The one person Gaara thought he could depend on, other than himself, trust, be friends with even, was walking away. Gaara collapsed on the ground with a sob.

And Lee didn't even turn around.

Gaara was all alone.

Again.


	7. Tears and Fears

Alone.

The word suited Gaara perfectly.

It described the essence that was his entire life.

Alone.

All alone.

Why did it bother him now? Gaara laughed dryly. He should be used to being alone by now. It shouldn't bother him that he was alone.

But it did.

It did. It bothered him now, the fact that he was alone.

Why! Why did it bother him now!

Gaara still stood in that oceanic black abyss of white shadows he'd awoken in. How long had he been here in this void? Hours? Days? Minutes? Gaara had no concept of time here, no concept of the day drawing to a close or of the dawn breaking. All Gaara knew for sure was that he was all alone. Completely alone. Then the tears began to fall.

* * *

The clearing, 3 minutes have passed since Gaara's collapse.

* * *

"Gaara… why will you not awaken, my friend," Lee quietly asked the still for of the sand nin. Gaara had resumed breathing after about a minute of frantic CPR on Lee's part, and now the younger ninja's chest was finally rising and falling normally once again.

He should have woken up by now.

"Why? Please Gaara-kun, wake up," Lee whispered. The leaf nin was incredibly worried about his friend, and he had not a clue as to what he should do.

Lee had carefully removed the sebon needle from Gaara's side and the slight bleeding had stopped. The needle wasn't poisoned, nor had it come anywhere near anything remotely vital.

Gaara should have woken up by now.

Lee turned once again to the only unusual aspect of the attack.

When Lee had removed the sebon, a single sakura petal had fallen from its shaft. Lee would never have given it a second look, had the needle not pierced the petal perfectly dead center. And for the fact that fine markings that Lee did not recognize radiated outward from the minute hole in a strange pattern.

He held the delicate pink petal thought fully.

"…sakura…" Lee whispered before turning back to his friend.

"Gaara… my dear friend, what has happened to you…?"

The only answer that Lee received was in the form of the tears glistening on Gaara's cheeks.

He should have woken up by now…

* * *

Gaara felt the warm tracks speed down his face. He tentatively touched a drop as it leaked from the corner of one ocean hued eye.

"I'm… crying…" more sparkling drops fell.

"**You should be,"** a dark and sinister voice filtered through the darkening shadows.

"I'll get out of here," Gaara said to himself.

"**No you won't,"** came the oily voice again, louder this time.

Gaara did his best to ignore Shukaku.

"I have to get back to Lee-kun, he might be in danger from who ever attacked me," Said Gaara, less decisively.

"**Who's to say he wants you back? Maybe he's left already,"** Shukaku hissed.

"L-Lee-kun wouldn't do that," said Gaara, even less sure, and his voice quavered.

"**Then maybe he's dead," **Shukaku whispered in Gaara's ear.

"NO!" Gaara shouted, "…no…"

"**That's it. He foolishly tried to protect **you, **and fell at the hands of your assailant," **Gaara could hear the mockery in the demon's voice.

"No…" Gaara put his hands over his ears in a feeble attempt to block the terrifying words out, but it was to no avail, Shukaku's voice rang loud and clear in Gaara's mind.

"**Don't you wonder who it was that dear old daddy sent this time? Who do you think it was he sent to kill you? And old friend, or maybe a family member?" **

Gaara tried desperately to block out the words.

**"Everyone hates you. Everyone's afraid of you. They, all, want, you, DEAD**," Shukaku whispered the last word in Gaara's ear as the boy's tears flowed freely.

Gaara mumbled something inaudibly.

"**What was that, Gaara-san?" **Asked the demon.

"…not me…" Gaara lifted his red-haired head a little and his eyes widened.

"**What ever do you mean, my dear vessel?" **Shukaku asked, feigning concern.

"Its not me," Gaara stated, stronger now, his eyes staring straight ahead in realization, "Its you. It is your powers that scare them. You're the one they hate. And because you're sealed within me, their hate for you turns into hate for me. It is all your fault I am an outcast from my village," Gaara stood shakily and he turned, " Its you that did this to me!"

"**That may be true, but it was still you that killed all those people. Its YOU that's the cold heartless bastard!" **sneered Shukaku.

"But I don't have to be," said Gaara quietly, "I DON'T HAVE TO BE!" he shouted, and once again, everything went dark.

* * *

Back in the clearing w/ Lee

* * *

"I DON'T HAVE TO BE!" Gaara suddenly shouted and his formerly comatose body shot into a sitting position.

Lee leaped back, frankly, the abrupt shout and movement on Gaara's behalf had scared the shit out of him.

"G-Gaara!" Lee scrambled to his friends side, fearful that something else was wrong with him. But, just as Lee was about to ask if Gaara was all right, the sand nin did something Lee would never have expected.

"Gaara-kun, are you al-!" Lee's concerned inquiry was cut short by Gaara throwing himself at Lee and wrapping his arms around the leaf nin's midsection, _hugging _Lee tight.

"G-Gaara-kun?" Lee was so shocked by this abrupt display of emotion, all he could do was return the awkward hug and calm the sobbing ninja.

"L-Lee-kun, y-you don't h-hate m-m-me, d-do y-you?" asked Gaara between sobs.

"I could never hate you Gaara-kun, why would you ever ask?" questioned Lee, upset.

"A-am I r-really your f-f-f-friend?" Gaara sat back, having calmed down somewhat.

"Of course, Gaara-kun, you are my best friend," Lee smiled and hugged Gaara once more.

"…thank you…" said Gaara so quietly that not even Lee heard him. Gaara returned the hug gladly, knowing that he had at least one friend. And Gaara vowed to not let Shukaku's presence keep him from making more.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO NEVER WAKE UP!" screamed a voice from the shadows and both Lee and Gaara leaped to their feet.

From out of the rushes stepped….


	8. finale

"You were never supposed to wake up!"

Gaara and Lee both leaped to their feet as a figure appeared from the bushes.

It was Sakura!

"S-Sakura-chan?!" gasped Lee, "It was you?! But why?" his black eyes were wide.

"Why?!" screeched the pink haired kunoichi, " Because he," she flung her hand out to point at Gaara, "messed everything up!"

Gaara, still unnerved by his mental battle with Shukakku, staggered back a step in both fear and surprise.

"What are you talking about Sakura?" Lee reached out his bandaged hand to his friend only to have it slapped away by a now hysterical Sakura.

"Don't touch me!" she snarled. Lee snatched his hand back as though burned by the chakra field welling up around the former team 7 member.

"Why... are you... attacking me?" asked Gaara, his voice coldly devoid of emotion.

Lee looked back startled, and gasped in despair as he saw the detached and uncaring look on Gaara's face. The young sand nin' s eyes had returned to the icy aqua color that had once sent chills down Lee's spine, now the sight only caused a deep despair to fill Lee's heart. All of his hard work had been for nothing, his friend had returned to the foreboding and hardened killer he was before coming to Kohona.

"Gaara...no..." Lee whispered, just like that the bloodlust was back in Gaara's cold aqua eyes.

"You bastard! Why didn't you take my advice and _LEAVE KOHONA!?_" Sakura spat at Gaara, "now you have the gall to ask me why!? Why would I attack you?" Sakura sneered, "Lord even you can't be that dull," she spat.

"I don't... understand…" Gaara whispered.

"You don't understand…" drawled Sakura, "You destroyed my life!"

"How?" Lee looked at Gaara, now seriously worried about his mono-toned friend.

"You stole them all. You took away everything I tried so hard to reach!"

"Sakura-chan! Please, what are you speaking of?" Lee cried. But it was no use, Sakura was on a furious tirade now.

"I tried for so many years to get Sasuke-kun to notice me, to pay attention to me! You waltz in her and in two minutes, you have him wrapped around your little finger! Naruto used to hang on my every word! Now all he can talk about is how much he wants to fight you again! You've even stolen Ino from me! If she asks me one time what type of flowers I think might be able to grow in Sand, I'll just kill her!" Sakura screamed, "Even Lee-kun has abandoned me to be with a MONSTER like you!" she yelled with the last of her breath.

Before Sakura could even inhale enough to start again, she found herself being slammed into the tree trunk behind her. Her feet dangled several feet off of the ground and she gasped desperately for breath, fighting the vice-like grip around her throat. The rough bark of the tree tore through her thin dress and scratched at her back as she struggled helplessly at the hold.

"NO ONE insults my friend," growled Lee as he tightened his hand around the struggling kunoichi's neck, "Gaara-kun is a better person than you will ever be, Sakura." Lee let her down enough so her feet touched the spongy leaf litter, "If you EVER come near Gaara-kun again, I WILL kill you," Lee's cold black eyes bored into Sakura's and she shivered in fear.

"Don't worry, I will never go near that monster again," she gasped and spat at Gaara's feet.

Lee's face reddened and he shook Sakura as a terrier might a rag toy, banging her body and head against the tree repeatedly.

"Shut up," he threatened before flinging the now limp girl across the clearing.

Sakura lay there, stunned, a few seconds before disappearing in a whirl of leaves.

Lee straightened and looked at Gaara, smile now back in its rightful place across his face.

"Well, Gaara-kun, we have just enough time to have our 'lunch' before it turns dark here, what do you say?"

Gaara just looked at the smiling boy and sighed, sighed long and low. Then he too looked up and smiled. Nothing compared to Lee's eye-smarting dazzle of teeth, but a true smile none the less.

"That… sounds good, Lee-kun," Gaara answered as Lee picked up the basket and slung his remaining arm around the shorter ninja's shoulders.

And with that, the two friends began to walk to the top of a grassy knoll, content to eat their meal in amiable silence as the sun melted into the nearby mountains and dyed the sky a dazzling spectrum of colors.

Just as the sun was about to disappear beneath the rocky peaks, Gaara whispered a small, "Thank you Lee,"

Lee just smiled and continued to eat his sandwich.


End file.
